Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard defeated Zhizhen Zhang 6–3, 7–6 in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Dubai on hard court, confirming his status as pre-match favourite with odds of 1.8 to 2.11. The Frenchman controlled the opening set decisively before Zhang mounted a competitive challenge in the second, forcing a tie-break that Perricard ultimately secured. The victory marks a solid opening to Perricard's campaign at one of the season's most prestigious hard-court tournaments and sets up a second-round encounter with a higher-ranked opponent.